According to the Daily Mail's Simon Jones, Karl Robinson holds an amicable relationship with the Liverpool boss, and said in his post-match comments:

I know Brendan quite well and we speak about different players all the time. I don't know the reason why he was at the game but Dele is special.

You will have seen him do some silly things because he is 17 years of age but he produced some bits of magic and you don't see many of them playing in an FA Cup third-round tie against a very good Wigan side and not look out of place.

A youthful Dons line-up was fully deserving of their FA Cup replay back in Buckinghamshire next week, with eight players aged 22 or under featuring for Robinson's side.

Alli has made 13 League One appearances for the Dons so far this season, scoring one goal and making three assists in the process, per Transfermarkt.co.uk.

The Times' Rory Smith, who was also at the DW Stadium this weekend, heaped praise on the young playmaker, backing up claims that Rodgers was interested in acquiring his services:

Since taking over at Anfield, Rodgers has shown a keen enthusiasm to bring his more youthful reserves into the starting XI, with the likes of Raheem Sterling, Jon Flanagan, Jordon Ibe and Andre Wisdom all excelling in the last 18 months.

However, that intrigue for the younger stars has also spilled over into his transfer strategy, with the likes of Luis Alberto, Tiago Ilori, Samed Yesil and Philippe Coutinho each requiring considerable investment.

The acquisition of Alli would be Rodgers' youngest purchase yet, and although the Milton Keynes native wouldn't pose much in terms of immediate first-team impact, he comes highly recommended after featuring for England at under-17 level.

Having made his Dons debut in 2012, this season has been a coming-of-age tale for the attacking midfielder, whose next priority will be ensuring his club's FA Cup journey doesn't end in the days to come.